Portable vacuum cleaning device.



J. GARDNER.

PORTABLE VACUUM CLEANING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5; 1909.

952,244. Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

2. SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Ffigg [fa /6x3 2 @222 6d @arfizzea J. GARDNER.

PORTABLE VACUUM CLEANING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5 1909' Mzzffiz 6:3 666 draw para

JAMES GARDNER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

PORTABLE VACUUM CLEANING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15, 1214).

Application filed June 5, 18109. SeriaLNo. 500,259.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES GARDNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Portable Vacuum Cleaning Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a portable suction cleaning device for household purposes of comparatively small dimensions and embodying sanitary characteristics.

he primary object of the invention is to provide a machine of this class that may be operated either by hand or electric motive power and readily movable from one place to another for cleaning the interior of a buildthe features of the invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the "same. zontal section. o

The numeral 1 designates the casing constructed of suitable light material and having a bottom 2, an intermediate horizontal partition 3, and top supporting means 4 for bearings 5 in which a drive shaft 6 is rotatably mounted and provided with reversely projecting cranks 7 and 8. The horizontal partition 3 forms with the bottom 2 a com- Fig. 3 is a horipartment 9 which is accessible through the medium of a rear hinged door 10, this door permitting the compartment to be cleaned or repairs made to devices located therein when necessary. The compartment 9 I has an es cape duct 11 communicating with the upper rear portion thereof and in the rear wa l 12 of the casing any number of outlet openings 13 are formed and communicate with the escape duct, as clearly shown by Fig. 1.

On the horizontal partition 3 an electric motor 14 is mounted and driven by a chain belt 15 trained over a sprocket wheel 16 on the shaft 6. The motor 14, however, may be of any type, but it ispreferred that it be operated by electricity from any suitable source. In some constructions, however, the shaft 6 may be operated by hand, the one end of the shaft, as at 17, being extended and squared for the reception of a crank handle. On the partition 3 two pumping cylinders or air pumps 18 and 19 are mounted and preferably constructed of light cast iron, each cylinder having therein a piston 20 with a piston rod 21, the said piston rods being respectively connected to the cranks 7 and 8 of the shaft 6 by link rods 22 and 23,- the said link rods 23 being movably attached to the piston rods for obvious reasons. The pistons 20 have specially formed rubber cups 24 engagin the same to insure an air-tight fitting of a e pistons relatively to the walls of the cylinders ofthe pumps. The air pumps work inalternation or the pistons 20 therein are reciprocated in such manner, through the medium of the cranks 7 and 8, that whenone iston, for instance that in the pump 19 is el vated, the remain in%piston in the pump 18 will be depressed.

eneath each air pump the partition 3'is formed with a vent opening 25 with a downwardly opening, valve 26 cooperating there- With and adjacent to the vent is an inlet opening 27 with an upwardly opening valve 28 disposed thereover. The vent openings 25 communicate with and the air drawn into the in a suction or vacuum, fu ly pumps in creatas Wlll be more hereinafter explained, 1s driven into said compartment and escapes through the duct 11 and openings 13 to the exterior of the machine. The inlet openings 27 of the pumps respectively communicate with a suction pipe 29 extending horizontally throu h the upper portion of the compartment 9 and having an elbow 30 at one terminal with which the inlet opening 27 of the pump 19 has communication and a branch pipe 31 into which theinlet 27 of thepu-mp 18 fully opens. The free extremity of the suction pipe 27 opens into the upper part of a suction or vacuum chamber 32. The lower portion of the suction or vacuum chamber 32 is enlarged as at 33 and has a bottom 34 the compartment 9,

gradually inclining downwardly to the back of the machine and forming part of .a converging neck 35. The rear reduced end of the neck 35 extends through the back of the machine below the door 10 and is provided with an air-tight fitting closure or cleaningoutdoor 36 Whichis hinged thereto and nor-F mally held closed by suitable fastening means. The lower enlarged portion 33 of the chamber 32 and the neck 35 are formed without obstructing shoulders or inner projections so as to prevent lodgment of dirt within the lower portion of the chamber. The said chamber and neck will also be formed of suitable non-corrosive metal, such as galvanized iron or copper, and will be so arranged and constructed that it may be removed for cleaning or repair; and to facilitate the removal of the same the bottom 2 of the machine is detachable, the said bottom being held by readily removable fastenings.

The water as'at 38 is held in the lower portion 33 of the chamber 32 and is supplied through the medium of an inlet 39, the 11 per surface of the water being a considera le distance below the free extremity of the suction pipe 29. The inlet or feed ipe 39 has a suitable removable cap 40 w ich is tightly fitted over the upper end of the said inlet pipe to prevent the ingress of air theret rough to the suction chamber, and said pipe may extend any distance vertically exteriorly of the machine. Extending through the front wall of the casing 1 is a hose connection 41 to which is attached a hose 42 of any suitable length and provided with a nozzle 43 of such form that it may be readily applied closely to a floor or other surface for gathering dust and dirt therefrom. The hose connection 41 'is secured to an enlarged dirt pipe or e ansion duct 44 within the chamber 32, t e said pipe or duct being projected downwardly and normally having its lower outlet extremity submerged in the water within the lower enlar' ed portion 33 of the said chamber. The irt pipe or expansion duct 44 is fixed over the hose connection 41 and has an unobstructed lower outlet end which is disposed far enough below the surface of the water to prevent any of the dust escaping from the water with the air. When the dust-laden air enters the duct 44 it expands sufficiently to prevent undue agitation of the water and a positive downward deflection of the dust-laden air and separation of the dust and dirt from the air are insured so that the air may be drawn ofl clean through the suction pipe above the column of water. The dust and dirt settling in the water deposit. on the inclined bottom 34 of the vacuum chamber 32, and in fact the dust and dirt are driven directly toward and against said bottom by reason of the unobstructed enlarged voutlet at the lower depending end of the said duct 44 and the ust and dirt are deposited so far below the upper surface of the column of water in the chamber 32 that an tendency of any portion of the dust or irt to pass 0d from the water with the air into the suction pipe 29 asaaaa will be averted. In the present construction also there are no movable parts in the least affected by the dust-laden air, and

bottom outlet, which is normall closed, and.

the inlet of the said suction plpe render it practically impossible for any of the dust or dirt to escape from-the chamber 32 without first having come into contact with the water. 7

v To render the machine readily portable it will be mounted on' rollers or small wheels, which have been omitted from the drawings in view of the obvious adaptation of such devices.

When the pumps are operated they suck the-air from the chamber 32 and create a vacuum in the latter above the column of water, and this vacuum creates a suction through the hose 42, drawing the dust and dirt rearwardly into the connection 41 and the air which. is also forcefully drawn rear 'ward into said connection expands in the enlarged pipe 44, the latter being increased in dimensions for this purpose, and' by such expansion a itation of the water is prevented and the pressure on the water due to the incoming air through the hose 42 and connection/11 depresses the water in the lower outlet extremity of the expansion pipe 44 and ermits the air to pass or percolate in the orm of bubbles upwardly. through the water andenter the suction p1pe'29 and from the latter be drawn into the alternately operating air pumps and be finally driven into the compartment 9 and escape to the atmosphere exteriorly of the machine through the outlet openings 13. The dust and dirt settle at the bottom 34 of the lower enlarged portion 33 of the vacuum chamber and gravitate into the neck 35, and from this neck the dirt or sediment in :the lower collecting ortion of the vacuum chamber is drawn 0 with the water through the outlet door 36. All the parts of the .device that are liable to become corroded are constructed of material, preferably metal of a non-corrosive nature, and the entirev organization will be composed of li ht material so as to render the machine eas1 y movable from one place to another. It will be understood, however that in assembling the parts of the machine, strength and resistance to vibration and wear will'be carefully observed. From time to time the water in the vacuum chamber will be replenished and said chamber may be flushed out when desired to clean the same and the compartment 9 may be readily cleanedjthroughthe mediuni-' of the door 10, the; latterhavin'gadownwardly: opening movement-andthelentrance to the; said compartment gbeing'fsufiiciently large to make it convenient in cla, g aid partment.

Changes inthe-iipr p a to sions may be resdi'ted; lto,-;*asgt of the mechanism is not dependent any ofthe exact. measurementssoj'long the relative proportions of thesevjeral arts are carried out.- I I What is claimedjisif v k 1. In a machine of the combination" of a'icasing-h vacuum h m er. t r n provid with lower. enlargement'toreceivewater, thesaid lower enlargement being provided with a" closedibottom and an 1 outlet means 1 continu ing therefrom towardio'nef side-offthe' casing,

means connected to, the -upperportion -of said chamber for-creating latter, and a dust "and; entrance means having an enlarged e ansion duct'extend- 'ing downwardly within the chamber and provided with a fully" open bottom. outlet normally covered by the water, the said expansion duct fixed in the chamber and located at a point below the" communication with the chamberof the means for creating a vacuum, the vacuumchamber-' being free of movable parts. a a

2. In a machine of the class specified, a casing, a closed vacuum chamberwithin-the casing having a lower 'water' holdingi ex.

tremity provided with an imperforate bot; tom continuing into a 'rearwardlyiprojecting downwardly inclined outlet means continuous therewith and extending. to one side of the casing, a dust and ain inlet to the chamber having an enlarged expansion duct fixed thereoverin the chamber and projecting downwardly into and normally covered by the water, the lower end of the expansion duct :being fully open, and afvacuum creating means communicating with the upper I portion of the chamber above the expansion duct, the water in the chamber being below the point of communication of the vacuum creating means'with the said chamber and the latter being free of movable devices therein.

3. Ina machine of the 012 specified, a casing, a closed vacuum chamber inuthe cas-' ing having aninclined-i'mperforate bottom provided' with a downwardly and rearwardly inclined conveying outlet pipe, a vacuum creating means having a suction east.

a jvacuuni in the a the chain-1 ,1 1 ipegammnaaing iaa ag a am ofl-sa dflchamber, the lower part oi ber.havmg'water therein, and aIdustI andair; jlnlet cxtgnding-through thecasin andcomm meatmg wlth the nterior of t e vacuum chamber, the inlet extremity-bfthesaidiinlta the vacuum "chamberf being -,covered= an'enlarged expansionduct which is'di- V into the waterandpro-"' {vided-with-a ful y open 1. lower outletend {which is normally r r LIn .afmachine of the-classspecified, a

covered by thefwatrfp" Y casing having a lower closed bottoml, and. a. horizontal partitlon above the bottom with "openings therein; the partition formingwitli blittdm 'a-conipartment provided'witliifaf""" rear 1 e ca e:- fdu'ct, 1 alternately operating air pumps on theipar'tition and communicating through a-part of said openings with the, compartment, means for operating the-air ipumps, a 'vacuum chamber within the oompartment having a bottom-portion continumg into-a 'rearwardl'y extending and d0wnwardly 'inclinedioutlet communicating with said bottom portion, asuction {pipe in communication with"i'thej-a1r "pumps and the upper portionof said-chamber, and a dust and air inlet for. thevacuum chamber havmg a hose connection onits exterior and an inner enlarged expansion terminal depending' into and normally submerged bynthe water in the lower 'part of the expansion chamber.

' 5." In a machine of the class specified, "a casing having a vacuum chamber therein provided with alower enlargement to receive water, they chamber belng also provided 'withan inclined. imperforate bottom continuing into a downwardly inclinedoutlet extending through andaccesslble at one side of the casing, means connected tothe upper portion of the chamber for'creatmg a vacuum therein, anda dust and air entrance-means communicating with the cham- V nesses. JAMES GARDNER.

Witnesses:

'THos. FOLEY WESLEY,

Crms. C. CoNNs ELMANL 

